


Love above all else

by Cordelia69



Series: Love above all else [2]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 22:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6875920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cordelia69/pseuds/Cordelia69
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finally, the last piece of the puzzle is in its place. And he feels complete.</p><p>Missing pieces from season 3 episode 6. Slightly AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love above all else

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cmorgana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmorgana/gifts).



> This is a gift for cmorgana. She knows why.

 

They passed the night together. It's a common habit now. Especially from the moment Athos found courage and went to the lodgings in the refugees' camp and kissed the other. In that moment, he finally felt complete. Like the last piece of a puzzle was put in place. From that moment on, they passed every free moment together.  


Except in this moment. He is alone in the makeshift bed. He can feel that the place beside him is cold and he opens his eyes a sliver to look around. No one. He groans and turns his head away from the direct light coming from the window. He dozes until he hears steps on the stairs.  


“I’m gonna have to start charging you lodgings, you’re here so often,” the other says as greeting.  


“Is that a complaint?” he asks.  


“Do I look dissatisfied?” the other replies crouching.  


Athos grips the arm in front of him pulling his companion to him.  


“No, no!” the other exclaims, wiggling out of his grip. Athos falls back on the thin mattress with a frustrated noise. “I will not be responsible for distracting the Captain of the Musketeers from his duties,” the other one continues, accentuating the word “Captain.”  


Athos sneaks a hand to grab the fabric and pulls again.  


“After all, King and Paris depend on you,” the other finishes, standing.  


Athos wants only to go back to bed, like this little conversation didn't happen. He grabs again at the fabric but the other snatches it away from his fingers.  


“I will get breakfast,” the other one says, leaving him alone. He closes his eyes again, savoring the moment.

\---------------------

When he wakes up again it is to the smell of pastries just baked. Aramis is crouching beside him with one of his favorite, puff pastry and apples.  


“I thought you'd like it,” he says taking his place next to Athos. He's dressed and ready to leave. “I have to go, but you can stay a little more, if you want. After all, you are the Captain and I am only a simple musketeer that has orders to follow,” he continues, leaning against him and giving him a little kiss.  


Athos grabs and pulls Aramis on top of him. Aramis moans into his mouth, burying his fingers in the Captain’s hair. Athos sneaks a hand between the shirt and the trousers, stroking the warm skin he encounters. Aramis moans again, gripping the hair this time.  


“No. We can't. I have to go,” he says a little breathlessly when they end the kiss.  


“Aramis...” Athos murmurs, caressing the skin with a finger.  


“No.” Aramis is resolute about it. He stands up, kicking lightly at Athos' hand.  


Athos looks at him while he dresses. He still can believe after all this time this man is his. The world will never know about this relationship, but they have each other and this is enough.  


Aramis puts his hat on, turning to the man still on the makeshift bed.  


“Don't look at me like that or I'll never leave,” he states, smirking.  


“Would it be so terrible?” Athos asks.  


“No, but I have a lot of things to do today. I should go,” he explains, moving to the stairs.  


“Aramis?” Athos calls for him. The other has his back to him but he can imagine the roll of his eyes.  


“One, Athos. And then I leave,” Aramis threatens him. He turns, going back to Athos and giving him a little peck on the lips.  


“And you call it a kiss?” Athos asks, offended. He then grabs him, kissing him properly. “This is a kiss,” he says once he releases Aramis.  


“You are terrible,” Aramis says, chuckling. “I have to go,” he adds, heading for the stairs once again.  


“Really?” Athos asks from his position on the thin mattress.  


“Really. See you later at the garrison,” he says leaving the room and Athos alone.  


\---------------------  


When he enters the garrison dirty and bloody, Constance gasps. She runs to him, trying to help, but he dismisses her, heading for the office. Once inside he leans against the desk, closing his eyes, trying to make an inventory of his injuries. He pulls off his shirt and changes it. He knows that it's a matter of time before Constance crashes through the door helping him. So he waits.  


Two minutes later Constance arrives, carrying a bowl full of water and a clean cloth. “What happened?” she asks.  


He doesn't answer. Instead, he makes another question. “Where are the others?”  


She produces a letter from her pocket. “This arrived this morning. They had to meet a General somewhere,”.  


A cold shiver runs through him. “Clairmont! Fetch Treville immediately!” he shouts.  


Constance looks at him worried. “Athos, what happened? Why do you need Treville?”  


“This isn't Treville’s calligraphy,” he says, gritting his teeth when Constance rubs the blood on his cheek. He feels a bruise forming near his eyes.  


“Do you think...?” Constance starts asking.  


“Grimaud attacked me this morning. So yes, he's after them,” he answers, taking his pistol to load.  


Constance takes a deep breath and continues on her job. When she's almost finished she speaks again. “Do you really think is necessary to go after him?”  


“There's the slightest chance they're walking into a trap”  


In that moment, Treville arrives. “What's so urgent you...” he stops speaking as soon as he sees Athos' face.  


“Did you write that?” Athos asks, showing the letter to the Minister.  


“No,” he answers. Constance has to look away. Athos squeezes her hand with the cloth before removing it from his neck.  


\---------------------  


They hear the blow before entering the ruined village. Athos spurs his horse to a furious gallop followed by the Minister and the rest of the musketeers.  


What he sees when he arrives freezes the blood in his veins. One of the houses is collapsed, the dust still in the air.

He starts calling his brothers. “Porthos! Aramis! D'Artagnan!” Nothing. Only the echo of his voice. He dismounts and, his injuries forgotten, he digs between the debris of the house. He moves rocks and woods still calling for one of his brothers.  


At some point, he feels a hand on his shoulder.  


“Athos, stop,” Treville whispers. He can't. His brothers are in there somewhere. Aramis is in there. He can't leave them there. He tries again to remove some debris but Treville grabs him and drags him away.  


“You can't do anything more. Leave the others do the work. We'll bring them back home. I promise you,” Treville tells him. Athos hangs his head in surrender. He can't think of what Treville is telling him. He doesn't want to believe that his brothers are...  


“We refuse to die!” Porthos voice is a little bit more than a whisper but it's all it takes to Athos to turns to the ruined house once more and starts digging again.  


He extracts Porthos first and then D'Artagnan. Then he calls. “Aramis! Aramis!”.  


D'Artagnan is telling him something but the only thing in his mind is to find Aramis. He searches for him where he found the others but nothing.  


“He's not here,” D'Artagnan says. Athos stops and looks at him. “He's not here. He's with the King,” the boy repeats. He sighs in relief.  


“Gaston has escaped the Bastille. And the King and Aramis have not returned from Saint Denis. This is not a coincidence,” Treville informs them, a message in his hand.  


After knowing that Porthos and D'Artagnan are alive, Athos has only one thought. Saving Aramis.  


\---------------------  


Athos is at their table when Aramis returns to the garrison. Two glasses and a bottle untouched are in front of him.  


“Did you tell her?” Athos asks, not looking at him.  


“What?” the other replies, sitting next to him.  


“That the King knows.” All he wants is to lay down and sleep preferably with Aramis next to him. But he knows that they need to talk about what happened before doing something more.  


“Yes. She was afraid that he'd banish her and take... her son away,” he reveals, pouring some wine in his glass. He motions to fill Athos' but the Captain blocks his hand. He puts down the bottle, takes a long sip and then continues. “She didn't know he's dying. How can someone not tell his wife that he has only months to live?” he rambles.  


“He thinks it's a punishment for her. As to pass all his free time with the Dauphin and turning him against his mother,” Athos replies looking at Aramis. He knows that there's something else his brother is not telling him.  


“He said that he'll hang me, sooner or later,” he says defeated.  


Athos rubs his hand on the neck avoiding to think of another hanging. “I'll protect you no matter what,” he swears, smiling at him.  


As if Aramis notices only right now the bruises and the cuts on Athos face, he gasps. “What happened to you?”  


“Grimaud, this morning. After you left,” he answers.  


“Did he find you there?” Aramis asks, extending his hand to Athos face.  


“Yes. I don't think it's safe for us to go there again,” he tells him. He doesn't know if with that he wants to say that they should end this thing between them or if they should find a new place.  


“We could find somewhere else to stay if you want,” Aramis reassures him. So breaking up isn't an option.  


“For now, I only want to sleep,” he confesses. He drinks the wine left in Aramis' glass, takes his hand and drags him into the office, bolting the door as soon as they are inside.

  
  


 


End file.
